Beauty Giveaway! Spread The Word :)

Just a quicky... I'm pretty new to the blogging world and I want to get more lovely ladies reading my blog so....

There's going to be a giveaway! When I reach 25 followers, I'll pick one at random to win a couple of beauty goodies :) and believe me they're good'uns ;) I'll post photos of the prizes later in the week...

So get following and spread the word chicas!

Twitter - @daniellacha

x Daniella Beauty Junkie x

My Very 1st Glossybox!

I received my very first Glossybox a couple of days ago and I couldn't wait to dedicate a post to it :) The poor postman obviously thought I was a nutter, after I snatched it and raced into the lounge feeling like I'd just received a Christmas present! Yes I'm that sad...

For those of you that aren't familiar with Glossybox here's a quick summary.

The Concept - A beauty box packed with 5 surprise beauty products that arrive on your doorstep once a month.
The price - £10 a month subscription.
The products - Anything from high-end skincare to sought after make up brands, new hair care brands, perfume samples and loads more!

The April box has a 'natural beauty' theme.. The box is 100% biodegradable and filled with natural beauty products.

I'll start with my absolute favourite... Figs and Rouge lip balm!

I let out a little squeal of excitement when I saw this, I posted a photo on Twitter of a few Figs and Rouge balms a couple of weeks ago. I came across them on Feel Unique and loved the packaging. This is a lip, face and body balm in Rambling Rose and it's 100% organic. It smells divine and you can use it on any dry patches you have...I have quite dry lips so I love balms and you only need a tiny bit of this so it'll last ages. RRP £3.29

My 2nd favourite... Inika Cosmetics Organic Eyeliner

Must admit I've never heard of this brand, but the eyeliner retails at £11.95 which seems quite pricey, so I can't wait to try this and see if it's worth purchasing. The reason I've taken such a liking to it is the colour, I don't have one like it (the shade is Graphite), it's almost like a metallic dark silver/grey and it's gorgeous :)

The other 3 products are Ayuuri body wash, Caudalie SOS Thirst Quenching Serum and a Kai Fragrances sample.
I'm really happy with the size of the body wash. It's full size and retails at £4.95 (see how much I've got for my £10 monthly fee!) it's in Sandalwood which smells lovely, not the usual scent I'd go for as it's quite a strong, woody scent but I'm looking forward to using it.
The caudalie Serum retails at £29 for 30ml (pricey!) and I've got a 10ml sample so not sure if this will last long enough for me to determine whether or not its hydrated my skin, but I'll give it a go :) (I love skincare so this is a great product for me).
And finally a perfume sample which I haven't tried yet (not hugely interested in this as I'm quite fussy with perfume so I only have a select few that I like...)

So that's it! I'm really pleased with the selection and I'd totally recommend subscribing. It's a perfect way to 'try before you buy' :)

Let me know if you're thinking of subscribing to Glossybox, or if you already subscribe, what did you get in yours and are you pleased with it?

x Daniella Beauty Junkie x

AX Paris - My New Best Friend!

Just a quickie :) Needed to share my total girly excitement about my new shoes... I needed a pair a sky high peep toes in cream for my birthday next week, and came across these little gems on www.axparis.co.uk. A total bargain at £38.99!
They arrived today and I got a lovely surprise when I saw they have red soles too! (cue drunken photos of me sticking my foot in front of the camera, acting like I'm in a pair of Loubi's...)
Hope you like them! I have the most amazing dress from Celeb Boutique to wear them with, but I'll do a special post on that after I've worn it.
Do check out AX Paris, they have some amazing faux Litas which are next on my ever-growing wish list!

My 1st Haul! New Look, Lush & The Body Shop

After selling a ton of stuff on eBay recently (goodbye tiny dresses & shoes I've never worn!) I decided to treat myself and my little boy to a little shopping spree :)
I've seen lots of beauty/fashion hauls on various blogs and I love reading them and uncovering little gems... So thought I'd share today's finds with you.

First stop, New Look.

Navy dip hem top - £12.99
Skull print sheer vest - £9.99
Peach/pink scarf - £7.99

I wasn't too sure about the skull vest as it runs the risk of looking a bit tacky but I tried it on with dark denim skinnys, a black blazer and red platforms and it looks fab! Loved this dip hem button up top and I'll definitely be snapping it up in white and orange too... And as for the scarf (I'm obsessed with scarves! I find that even with quite a plain outfit you can throw on a gorgeous bright, funky scarf and it pulls everything together..) I love the summery colour of this one and the clash of giraffe and leopard print.

Onto Lush and The Body Shop.

Time for a confession.. Yesterday I lost my Lush virginity! And damn was it good :) ha! I've seen soooo many blog posts, YouTube videos and general 'raving' about the brand and in all honesty, eventhough I've walked past my local Lush shop a million times, it's never interested me. Wow was I missing out! Was kind of overwhelming as there's just so much to look at and as I had my son with me (who doesn't enjoy sitting in his pram for more than 5 seconds), I only had a quick browse and picked up one item. But I'll be going back there very soon!

Lip Scrub - £4.95

I knew what I wanted before going in the shop, I needed a lip scrub and this one is gorgeous. I chose chocolate over the mint and bubblegum flavours as it smells delish. Plus, as with everything in Lush, it's 100% natural and is literally just caster sugar, jojoba oil, a bit of chocolate and vanilla and that's about it. So after rubbing it on your lips you can lick it off - love that!

This is what I'm really going to rave about! I very rarely buy Body Shop cosmetics... By rarely I mean never. Not because I dislike them, just because I always tend to buy my favourite brands and just haven't considered it, but after today I'll definitely be going back. The value for money was awesome! For a concealer, bronzer, blusher and lip balm the total price was £39.50 (pretty steep I hear you cry) BUT after signing up for a membership card (totally free, just like a loyalty card) I received 10% off, then the shop assistant asked me when my birthday was (for the membership card) and when I told her in less than 2 weeks she gave me another £5 off! Plus all make up products were 3 for 2... So I only ended up paying £23.40! And by being a member I'll be notified first of any special offers and also be invited to evening events to try new products etc... Fabuloso! :) Body Shop cosmetics are excellent quality (a tad pricey but hey, you get what you pay for), so the best buys of the day in my opinion.

Swatch of the concealer in number 01 £9

Tried to do swatches for the blusher and bronzer but my iPhone camera is rubbish. Blusher in number 10, a dark pink shade £8.50 and bronzer in Honey number 02, a matt shade for fair skin £13.00. (I also bought a shea butter lip balm for £4, I have the body butter in this (flavour?) and it smells divine).

Finally I went to WHSmiths and picked up the first 2 Hunger Games books. Its quite shocking that I haven't read these yet as I'm a total bookworm (and library to my friends) and with the hype surrounding this trilogy I just need to get in on the action! They were 'buy one get the second half price'.

And if anyone's interested in what goodies my son came home with, he had an 'Octobubble' bath toy which pretty much does everything but the dishes! It sings, it plays music, it blows bubbles - 3 of Milan's favourite things :) and he got a set of squishy balls to kick around, at 14 months he's easily pleased!

Hope you liked this haul! Let me know your views on any of the products mentioned and if you like this post I'll do some more hauls in the future.

x Daniella Beauty Junkie x

Statement Rings From Dorothy Perkins

Just a quick post to share a couple of rings I bought recently (last weekend) from Dorothy Perkins :)

I managed to pick these beauties up for £1 each - bargain! Originally they were about £6 or £7 each.

I find DPs always have really good jewelry sales on, I don't tend to buy much clothing from there but I was perusing the jewelry section for quite some time! I've got my eye on some gorgeous Shambala style bracelets in there too...

x Daniella Beauty Junkie x

To Ombre Or Not To Ombre...

It's time for my Friday Faves guys and gals! And this week it's all about the beauty products :) so lets dive straight into number one... 

Revlon Colour Stay Foundation 

It's always being compared to MAC's Studio Fix fluid (Iv personally never used that particular MAC product *cue gasps and shocked faces* so I can't comment) but I've been using Revlon's raved about Colourstay liquid foundation for about a week and I'm really pleased with the result...

(excuse the amateur photography skills!)

It has quite a thick consistency but I'd say it gives medium coverage which is perfectly fine for day time and its so lightweight when it's on! I've been using 'buff' which is a light beige shade, but another great thing about Colourstay is they have a HUGE range of shades, so you're bound to get an almost perfect if not perfect match... 

It also comes in normal/dry and combination/oily versions. I have oily skin and I struggle to find foundations that keep my skin matt all day but this is one seems to do the trick. I use my elf blotting papers now and again, mainly out of habit, but overall this is my current favourite foundation for day time use and I'd definitely recommend trying it... I think it's about £10 and can be bought in Boots or online, anywhere really!

Tip - I normally just apply foundation with my fingers as I'm not a fan of foundation brushes (although i really want to try Real Techniques Blending brush!) but I've been using a beauty blender lately which is amazing! 

I definitely recommend buying one (prices vary but mine was about £3 from eBay) as the look you achieve is so much smoother! I'll do a full review on the beauty blender soon but you basically dot your foundation over your skin then blend it in using circular motions with the large end of the blender - fabuloso! (check out YouTube for beauty blender tutorials and reviews).

Beauty Works Ombré Extensions

My absolute FAVOURITE this week! (and month... Possibly favourite thing this year).

I've been admiring certain celebs with their dip dyed locks and to be honest I've decided I may try this myself. 

This is the colour I want to try! It looks gorgeous on Lauren...

Ombré has the danger of looking messy and the only thing that puts me off trying it is the fact that it needs a certain amount of effort and styling to avoid it looking scruffy...

But Beauty Works have seriously tipped the scales in favour of me trying this look! 

Their dip dye clip in extension range is a fab idea as you can wear ombre as and when you want to (click the link above to look at the range of colours).

This takes away the scary prospect of dying your actual hair (mine is too short anyway)so extensions are the way forward.

For anyone that's interested in purchasing these, do look out for discount offers and reduced shipping costs on their twitter page @Beautyworks and do check out the blonde/lavender dip dyes - gorgeous! More for someone younger I'd say but they're lovely :)

Giles Deacon Cosmetics 

He's collaborated with New Look for quite a while now on the clothing side of things but on 21st April Giles Deacon's new make up range for New Look is launching :) The Gold by Giles cosmetic range will definitely be worth a try with prices ranging from £1.99 for a lipgloss to £3.99 for an eyeshadow palette (you get the idea, cheap as chips!) there'll also be metallic eyeliners, make up brushes, eyebrow pencils to name but a few, as well as new nail polishes ( he launched some nail polishes, nail wraps and lashes last October)... 

I normally don't like it when popular high street clothing stores start selling cosmetics, they tend to look a bit cheap and nasty, apart from Topshop who's cosmetics and nail polishes are awesome... but I love the look of these products from the photos I've seen! The lipgloss shades look really bright and summery and I'd be interested to try the brushes :) if they're any good then at around £7.99 they're a steal! 

This range hits New Look stores on 21st April and will be available online too. 

So thats my little mixed bag of favourites for you this week :) Do let me know your thoughts on Revlon's Colourstay, if you'll be having a nose at the Giles Deacon cosmetics when they hit the shelves and the most important question, to ombré or not to ombré? 

Follow me on twitter @daniellacha 

x Daniella Beauty Junkie x

Review: Rocking The Sleeprollers

If you're a Twitter addict like myself you'll no doubt have noticed the new obsession for all 'big hair' fanatics - Velcro Sleeprollers. The gorgeous scouse girls rock theirs whilst strutting down the high street in their Louboutins and slowly but surely this trend from Liverpool is taking over the UK :)
If you're a fan of the average velcro roller then you'll know that sleeping in them is a total mission. They're too uncomfortable to lie on and therefore your much needed 8 hour's beauty sleep is interrupted. Cue Sleeprollers....

'Desperate Scousewives love Sleeprollers'



These nifty rollers are filled with foam making them much more comfortable to sleep in and the idea is, you wake up in the morning with big bouncy curls and you're ready to go without the fuss of blow drying and curling...

So a few weeks ago I jumped on the 'big hair' band wagon and bought some for £16.50. Needless to say when they arrived I was beyond excited! As mentioned previously I'm a bit of a packaging snob and I like to ooh and ahh over the pretty prints and bright colours that my goodies arrive in, Sleeprollers were no disappointment! 

Photo from http://velcrosleeprollers.com/

In the pretty pink bag I had 2 packs of 10 sleeprollers which I think is fab for the price. I have quite short hair so I knew I wouldn't need all of them but at least I have plenty for when my hair finally grows out :)

Normally this would be a product aimed at those with lovely long locks, as they're the ones that will get the best results but I love the 'just blow dried with plenty of volume' look so I was going more for this than a full on curl (due to the size of the rollers, my hair is just too short to acheive any kind of big, bouncy curl)... This said, I only used 10 rollers on the top of my head as curling the underneath seemed pointless.

As for how comfortable they were, in all honesty the first time I used them I needed to adjust my head on the pillow a fair bit to find a comfortabable position, but this is probably due to the fact that I wouldn't normally sleep in any kind of rollers so it's something out of the ordinary for me (I've only slept in ordinary rollers once and hated it)... Last night was the third time I've used them and I'm much more used to them now, I get a full night's sleep and the foam really does sink into your pillow almost acting as another pillow for your head :)

I took this photo this morning as soon as I had taken them out (about ten minutes after I'd woken up). So bare in mind this is without any styling, curling, products...I haven't done a thing to it.

Comparing this to the first photo, my hair is volumised and bouncy and I love the front flick! I normally have to use straighteners to acheive this flick and considering I had literally just got out of bed the result is great.

So overall I'd recommend Sleeprollers to those of you with short hair... you're not going to acheive the signature Kim Kardashian bouncy curl but it's pretty impossible to do that anyway with hair this length... You could always clip in your extensions to add your required length but for a day time, volumised, just blowdried look these beauties are perfect :) Especially when you have a toddler to sort out in the mornings as I do, these will save you a serious amount of time!

Follow @SLEEPROLLERS on twitter for more info or click here to order

x Daniella Beauty Junkie x

Flirting With Florals

It's difficult living in Cornwall and loving exciting new trends as I do, we're so 'behind' that sometimes I feel as though I can't experiment with anything. For example, the first time I took an oversized box clutch bag out I got told I looked like I was carrying a laptop case... You know who you are!
One trend I'm going to try, that's pretty big for Spring/Summer is floral. I know it's easy enough to throw on a girly flower print dress, step into your sandals and skip along in the sunshine (on the 2 days of the year we class as summer), but isn't that kinda boring? Why not be a bit more daring... I've seen a few funky floral trousers in the high street, magazines, online etc...admittedly some are downright ugly and others are so crazy they'd give you a migraine, but these are truly a fabulous find... Honest! 

These beautys are from Warehouse and I think they're seriously stunning. They're £38, can be bought here and they're a brilliant way to embrace the floral trend this spring. Think sky high nude courts and a white racer back (tucked in) to keep it simple and if you fancy it, team with a laptop case...I mean box clutch. 

Tank top £8 River Island

Nude courts £32 http://www.chockersshoes.co.uk/

If you're really brave you could team the trousers with a contrasting clutch in orange like this one from ASOS Collection (LOVE perspex clutch bags right now!) or even yellow/hot pink - be brave!  

Bag £35 ASOS

I'm guilty of sticking to neutrals since  becoming a mum, it just goes with the territory but I'm so ready to get back to playing with fashion and with summer coming there's no excuse... Embrace the bright and the bold :)
Make up wise think neutral eyes and nude lips to let the trousers do the talking, or if you're really brave colour pop your lips with a vibrant pink (think classy not trashy)... 

This is the gorgeous 'Nicki' lipstick from MAC's Viva Glam range (limited edition), a bubblegum pink with subtle yellow undertones... It has a satin finish and you can snap up this beauty at MAC for £13.50 (I'll be doing a review on this in a few days time and I'll create a make up look to show you how you could wear it).

So on your next night out, ditch the dreary dress, throw on a pair of summery trousers and prepare yourself for a flood of compliments :) Or if you live in Cornwall, listen to the criticism then 6 months later laugh when everyone else is wearing them!

Feel free to share your views on all things floral and do follow me on twitter @daniellacha...

x Daniella Beauty Junkie x

Nail Caviar & The Perfect Mascara

My very first blog post... Eeeek! There's something seriously scary about broadcasting your opinions for everyone to see! But good scary :) I think...
Anyway let's get started. So as this is my first post I have about a million and one things to say but I'll pace myself. In the past couple of months I've had some really good beauty/fashion/random finds so I'll pick some of the best to share with you guys today and I'll save some for later too. Can I just add that I'm starting this blog on Friday 13th!?!? If anyone needed more proof that I don't do things by halves then there it is! (I'm very supersticious, but I'm going to change Friday 13th to a day of good luck not bad) ha!
Now as it's a Friday I really want to do 'Friday Faves', it's something I've just started doing on twitter and it's basically just picking 3 or 4 weekly favourites of mine, be it a make up product, pair of shoes, exciting new brand etc etc..... so that seems like a good place to start :) (I'll apologise now for all the smiley faces you'll be seeing, it's an annoying habit and I can't stop myself...)

So, Friday Fave numero uno (had to throw a bit of Espanol in there!) -
Ciate Caviar Manicure

Soooo excited to try this! It was launched at the end of March but at the moment is only available in the USA at Sephora. If you love your funky, kitsch nail art as much as I do then you're going to love this one!

It's available in black, white or rainbow and I have to admit I think this idea will be HUGE for summer! We've had Minx, we've had Swarovski toes and this is really an 'in-between'. In the set you get a gorgeous Ciate paint pot (which of course could be used on its own) and after applying 2 coats of that, you sprinkle the little pearls from the second pot all over your nails, pressing them down to ensure they're in place. And there you have it! Glam, 3D nails :) You even get a little funnel to help pour any remaining pearls back into the bottle - how genius is that?!

You can pick these up at http://www.ciate.co.uk/ as of next month for £18 a set which I think is really reasonable for such a great brand. Do make sure you get your name on the waiting list now to avoid disappointment!
I love Ciate's paint pots with the gorgeous variety of colours and signature bows and this is just another reason to add to the collection! And let's be honest, who doesn't want caviar on their fingers?

Friday Fave number 2 -

H&M's Red Carpet Collection

I love H&M for their purse-friendly, on trend designs and of course their collaborations (Versace, David Beckham - clearly I love this one just for those beautiful photos of him in his boxers...) but yesterday they launched their Red Carpet Collection. A selection of floor length Oscar-worthy gowns and luxurious cocktail dresses - they really are A-list ensembles with a 'normal folk' price tag. 

These are some of my favourites, my ultimate fave being the lime green backless mini and of course the blue short suit worn by Amanda Seyfried.

Prices range from £19.99 for the royal blue shorts to £199 for the floor length pieces. Available in stores now. http://www.hm.com/

And finally, Friday Fave number 3 -

Clinique High Impact Mascara

During the past week or so I've been using this mascara and I literally feel like screaming "BUY THIS MASCARA!!" from the rooftops! Yes, it lengthens, yes it thickens, no it doesn't clump, yes it's a miracle! You're probably thinking I'm getting a bit carried away but if you saw how short and stumpy my eyelashes are you'd understand the lifelong mission I'm on to find the ultimate mascara. Most of you wear your trusty black mascara to add an extra 'wow' to your average eyelashes, but not me. I have to wear at least two coats just so people think I actually have eyelashes.... This said I've tried everything from budget brands like Rimmel and Maybeline to the more pricey mascaras from Dior and MAC (I have to add that Maybeline Colossal, MAC Zoomlash and Diorshow are some of the best I've tried) but last month I picked up a copy of Glamour magazine which came with a free sample size of Clinique's High Impact mascara so I thought I'd give it a go. It's quite a plain looking product which admittedly wouldn't normally attract my attention as I'm a bit of a packaging snob but I have to say this is one of the best if not THE best mascara I'v ever used. No joke!

It has quite a short, thick brush (I know it doesn't look like that in the picture but it does..) and it just ticks all the boxes. It lengthens my lashes, thickens and seperates them and it's the perfect product to use if you're in a hurry. I only have to apply one coat (almost unheard of with my lashes being almost non-existent) and that's plenty for day time wear. Another coat or two and I would be good to go in the evening without the need for false lashes, although I'd probably wear them anyway on a night out or I'd feel naked. 

So give it a go, especially if you suffer with 'stupidly short eyelash syndrome' as I do and let me know what you think! If you're one of the lucky ones blessed with lushcious lashes already then I can only imagine the result would be even more fabulous :)  You can purchase it for around £16.00 from your local Clinique counter or online here I'll definately be buying the full size once my sample runs out and I may even stop my search for the perfect mascara!

Now for something equally as fabulous as my Friday Faves :) Claireabella! You're either reading that and thinking what the hell is a Claireabella? Or you've just shouted 'reem!' out loud (promise I'll never use that word in this blog again...) but if you're the latter then you know that a Claireabella is THE must have jute bag of the moment. I recently had one for Mothers Day (aww) and I'm totally in love.

You can order a large jute bag like mine (below) for £39.99 at http://www.toxicfox.co.uk/ just choose your outfit, hair length/colour, eye colour and have your own personalised celebrity IT bag :) Claire does make a limited amount of original bags which she stocks on her own website but bear in mind these sell out within seconds.

Sorry for rambling! But surely that's allowed in my first post? :) Please feel free to comment and I'd love to hear if you own any of the products mentioned and what your thoughts are... Do follow me on twitter too @DaniellaCha

x Daniella Beauty Junkie x